"What is it, Matt?"
"I was going to say, you don't look right today," Bonnie said anxiously.
"Thankyou ," Matt snapped.
Tears pooled in Bonnie's brown eyes. "I didn't mean - "
But she didn't get to finish. Meredith and Elena drew in protectively around her in the solid phalanx of what they called "velociraptor sisterhood." It meant that anybody messing with one of them was messing with them all.
"Sarcasm instead of chivalry? That's hardly the Matt I know." Meredith spoke with one eyebrow raised.
"She was only trying to be sympathetic," Elena pointed out quietly. "And that was a cheap comeback."
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry - reallysorry, Bonnie" - he turned toward her, looking ashamed - "It was a nasty thing to say and I know you were only trying to be nice. I just - I don't really know what I'm doing or saying. Anyway, do you want to hear the thing," he finished, looking defensive, "or not?"
Everyone did.
"Okay, here it is. I went to visit Jim Bryce this morning - you remember him?"
"Sure. I went out with him. Captain of the basketball team. Nice guy. A little bit young, but..." Meredith shrugged.
"Jim's okay." Matt swallowed. "Well, it's just - I don't want to gossip or anything, but - "
"Gossip!" the three girls commanded him in unison, like a Greek chorus.
Matt quailed. "Okay, okay! Well - I was supposed to be over there at ten o'clock, but I got there a little early, and - well, Caroline was there. She was leaving."
There were three little shocked gasps and a sharp look from Stefan.
"You mean you think she spent the night with him?"
"Stefan!" Bonnie began. "This isn't how proper gossip goes. You never just outright say what you think - "
"No," Elena said evenly. "Let Matt answer. I can remember enough from before I could talk to be worried about Caroline."
"More than worried," Stefan said.
Meredith nodded. "It's not gossip; it's necessary information," she said.
"Okay, then." Matt gulped. "Well, yeah, that was what I thought. He said she'd come early to see his little sister, but Tamra is only about fifteen. And he turned bright red when he said it."
There were sober glances between the others.
"Caroline's always been...well, sleazy..." began Bonnie.
"But I've never heard that she even gave Jim a second glance," finished Meredith.
They looked to Elena for an answer. Elena slowly shook her head. "I certainly can't see any earthly reason for her visiting Tamra. And besides" - she looked up quickly at Matt - "you're holding out on us somehow. What else happened?"
"Somethingmore happened? Did Caroline flash her lingerie?" Bonnie was laughing until she saw Matt's red face. "Hey - c'mon, Matt. This isus . You can tell us anything."
Matt drew in a deep breath and shut his eyes.
"Okay, well - as she was going out, I think - I think Caroline...propositioned me."
"She didwhat ?"
"She wouldnever - "
"How, Matt?" Elena asked.
"Well - Jim thought she'd left, and he went to the garage to get his basketball, and I turned around and suddenly Caroline was back again, and she said - well, it doesn't matter what she said. But it was about her liking football better than basketball and did I want to be a sport."
"And what did you say?" Bonnie breathed, fascinated.
"I didn't say anything. I just stared at her."
"And then Jim came back?" Meredith suggested.
"No! And then Caroline left - she gave me this look, you know, that made things pretty clear as to what she meant - and thenTami came in." Matt's honest face was flaming by now. "And then - I don't know how to say it. Maybe Caroline said something about me to make her do it to me, because she - she..."
"Matt." Stefan had scarcely spoken until this point; now he leaned forward and spoke quietly. "We're not asking just because we want to gossip. We're trying to find out if there's something seriously wrong happening in Fell's Church. So - please - just tell us what happened."
Chapter 15
Matt nodded, but he was blushing to the fair roots of his hair. "Tami...pressed herself against me."
There was a long pause.
Meredith said levelly, "Matt, do you mean she hugged you? Like a biiiiiig hug? Or that she..." She stopped, because Matt was already shaking his head vehemently.
"It was no innocent biiiiiig hug. We were alone, in the doorway there, and she just...well, I couldn't believe it. She's only fifteen, but she acted like an adult woman. I mean...not that I've ever had an adult woman dothat to me."
Looking embarrassed but relieved at having got this off his chest, Matt's gaze went from face to face. "So what do you think? Was it just a coincidence that Caroline was there? Or did she...say something to Tamra?"
"No coincidence," Elena said simply. "It'd be toomuch of a coincidence: Caroline coming on to you and then Tamra acting like that. I know - I used to know Tami Bryce. She's a nice little girl - or she used to be."
"She still is," Meredith said. "I told you, I went out with Jim a few times. She's a very nice girl, and not at all mature for her age. I don't think she would normally do anything inappropriate, unless..." She stopped, looking into the middle distance, and then shrugged without finishing her sentence.
Bonnie looked serious now. "But we have to stop this," she said. "What if she does that to some guy who's not nice and shy like Matt? She's going to get herself assaulted!"